• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

Several months ago, I made a list of terms I would NOT use in these COVID-y times. Among them is “the new normal.” But I didn’t promise I wouldn’t use the word “paranormal,” and that’s where we’re venturing today. To get inspired to write this piece, I sat down at my desk at midnight. I was keenly aware of every bump and creak I heard around the house ... and my cat, the amazing Potsticker, nearly scared the beans out of me when he burst through the not-quite-latched door to my office just as I was composing the part about the Huey P. Long Bridge. I jumped, he jumped ... it was dramatic, then funny. Here’s what he and I came up with for your reading pleasure: This is Potsticker, my most trusted office assistant. He likes to keep an eye on things from the back my chair. He thinks this black-and-white photo makes him look a little eerie, but he’s totally harmless ... and completely afraid of his own shadow. (And bugs. And his squeaky toys. And the super-expensive water fountain I bought him. And pretty much everything else except the jolly, wobbly plastic mouse that dispenses his cat treats.) I’d hate to think what he’d do if he actually saw a ghost. Or a real mouse. The New (Para)normal Who’s up for Some “Fright-seeing”? We’ve officially entered fall! Over the past several weeks we’ve shared information about foliage and apples and pumpkins. In October we’ll officially segue over to our holiday programming (don’t turn the channel – you’ll love it!), but before we go full-throttle into turkeys and trimming trees, let’s first touch upon a few ghosts and ghouls. Yeah, you’re right ... 2020 has been plenty scary so far, so we probably don’t need to set anyone’s heart racing with tales from the beyond. But you know what? We represent destinations that are home to some pretty interesting local legends. Whether or not you believe in the otherworldly stuff, we thought it could be fun to share some of the stories we hear when we’re on the road in our client regions. (Ideally in a car on a bright sunny day, with human companions.) It turns out that Louisiana is a hotbed of hauntings, but Alabama and Jamaica have some of their own tales to tell. So, today we present to you a gaggle of ghosts ... and one creepy critter. Let’s start with him. As always, if you’d prefer not to receive these weekly messages from MBPR, please just let me know and I’ll remove you from the distribution list. I can’t promise the Rougarou won’t come get you, though. The Rougarou Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana Louisiana is the land of legends, but one of our favorites is the story of the “Rougarou,” basically the Cajun version of a werewolf. The creature falls under the category of “cryptid,” an animal that’s said to exist but for which nobody has been able to offer true proof. He is to Louisiana what Bigfoot is to the Pacific Northwest and what the Loch Ness Monster is to Scotland. The Rougarou is half-man and half-dog, a creature that can stand upright on two legs but which is covered in hair. His face is doglike, featuring intimidating teeth, and his hands sport super-sharp claws. And here’s the kicker: He’s on a mission, looking for misbehaving children. Legend tells us that the Rougarou is most often found wandering in the swamps of southeastern Louisiana or lurking in the region’s many sugar-cane fields. It’s probably no coincidence that the two places that are most dangerous for kids growing up in this region are, in fact, swamps and sugar fields. The legend of the Rougarou stems from medieval French folklore, in which a similar beast called the “Loup-Garou” – combining the French words for “wolf” and “man who transforms into an animal” – taunted French children. The story has been handed down from generation to generation, either from French settlers who arrived in Louisiana or from French-Canadian immigrants, the “Cajuns” who relocated here in the mid-1700s. “Loup-Garou” became “Rougarou” in Cajun French. The Rougarou is celebrated with his own festival, held in the town of Houma on the last weekend in October. The Rougarou Fest typically features plenty of food, music, crafts and a parade, though this year’s event is being adjusted per new COVID guidelines. Wait! Is that the Rougarou lurking in the swamps of Terrebonne Parish? Bayou Sale Road Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana Shifting gears from wolfmen to ghosts, but in the same general vicinity, we have the story of Bayou Sale Road, which connects the small town of Dulac to the little fishing village of Cocodrie (fun fact: THAT word is Cajun for “alligator”). It’s considered Louisiana’s most haunted road, a superlative that may or may not be appealing, depending on how you feel about hitchhiker hauntings. This area has been home to a full array of some of the cultures that make Louisiana such a fascinating and distinctive place, including French settlers, the United Houma Nation and the Biloxi Chitamatcha Choctaw Nation. For years, reports have come in from residents and visitors alike about what appears along this highway on the 10-mile drive between to the two towns. The road is long and curvy and especially creepy at night. Folks say a ghost hitchhiker roams the road, trying to lure drivers to pull over and pick him up. When cars slow down to assist, the ghost often disappears entirely or the occupants of the car see that the pedestrian is, in fact, totally transparent. If that’s not enough to scare you off from picking up hitchhikers in these parts (or anywhere), be warned: if this one enters your car he’ll demand treasures ... or the soul of one of the vehicle’s passengers. It’s a high price to pay in either case. The Silk Lady Madisonville, Louisiana This specter is always described with the word “silk”: silky hair, silky skin, silk clothing, very long fingernails that – oddly – look like flowing silk, and feet ... well, nobody has seen her feet. It’s like her feet are covered by a silk gown and she just sort of floats along. Residents of the waterfront community of Madisonville, nestled in St. Tammany Parish to the north of New Orleans, have reported seeing her since the mid-1800s. Even a former mayor went on the record about his own terrifying encounter with her. She’s usually spotted in an area called Palmetto Flats. The earliest stories talk about animals acting odd in this area, as if they could see and were feeling threatened by something. In the early days of the sightings, oxen and horses would stampede or buck in Palmetto Flats. As for the people who’ve seen the Silk Lady, they say that she not only floats along – and may grab for you – but that she also makes an odd screaming sound as she moves along. She only seems to appear at night. Nobody knows her name, which is why she’s just “the Silk Lady” around here, but as the story goes, this is the ghost of a young woman who was riding her horse home from a rendezvous with her true love but taking a road less traveled. Her horse was startled – some stories say by a snake – and threw her. The young lady fell and hit her head on a rock – or snapped her neck, depending on which version of the story you hear – and she died alone in the wilderness. Maybe she’s trying to repay that old horse by scaring modern-day animals? Since the 1950s, the area has become very residential; there’s even a Silk Lady Road within the housing developments. Hmm ... imagine buying a house with THAT address! (Actually, it would be quite a nice house, as the homes along the street are lovely, even if they do come with a wandering ghost in the backyard.) A new restaurant that just opened in Madisonville this summer, Tchefuncte’s, has named a drink “The Silk Lady.” It’s a blend of Ford’s Gin, pink peppercorn grapefruit cordial, Campari and St. Germain. It might just knock you off your horse ... or at least on your butt. Huey P. Long Bridge Jefferson Parish, Louisiana Named for Louisiana’s 40th governor – and perhaps its most infamous – this cantilevered steel bridge has carved out an interesting reputation all its own. The bridge was designed to carry a two-track railroad line and six lanes of vehicular traffic over the Mississippi River. Since it opened in 1935, countless witnesses have claimed to see ghostly apparitions walking along the bridge or climbing beside it. And it may not be just one spirit hanging around; it seems to attract a crowd of creepers. First up is engineer Ralph Modieski, who designed or consulted on several bridges throughout the country, but this one is his most famous masterpiece. Legend has it that his ghost travels back and forth across the United States, continuing to inspect the bridges he designed. Eyewitnesses say they’ve seen a man in period clothing walking along as if examining the entire span of the Huey P. Long Bridge. But he may have some company along his nearly 23,000-foot path. Construction of this magnificent feat of engineering came at a cost, with workers being entombed alive in the giant cement pilings that hold the bridge in place and trestle workers falling to their deaths in the river below.

Load more

  10

Copy Link